The 104 applications have been evaluated by the artistic committee composed of Dario Tabbia, Petra Grassi, Paolo Zaltron to which was added Raul Talmar (European Choral Association).
Maria Ciavarella (1995) was born in Brescia (Italy). After studying Violin at Conservatorio L. Marenzio in Brescia, she graduated at the Guido d’Arezzo School for choral conductors under the direction of L. Donati, N. Corti, G. Graden, P. Broadbent, A. Schweitzer, C. Pavese, L. Marzola, L. Leo. In 2018 she attended a Choral Conducting Master at the Chigiana Summer Academy with L. Donati and the Spirito Academy “Les sens de la voix” with N. Corti. From 2019 to 2022 she attended several Masterclasses for Choral Conducting (M. Sacquegna, M. Da Rold, M. Valbusa, L. Scaccabarozzi, R. Paraninfo and C. Pavese. In 2023 she obtained the bachelor’s degree in Choral Conducting and Choral Composition at Conservatorio F.A. Bonporti in Trento, with P. Grassi. In 2024 she graduated in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Brescia. She has been a member of several Italian choirs winning many prizes in national and international choral competitions: Controcanto Female Choir (2011-present), UT insieme vocale-consonante (2020-2022), Guido Chigi Saracini Choir (2018-2023), Tuscan Youth Choir (2018-2019). In 2020 she won the Second Prize at the National Choral Conducting Competition “Le mani in suono” in Arezzo. In 2022 she won the First Prize at the National Competition “Città di Fermo” with Controcanto Female Choir and a Special Prize for Choral Conducting. She is currently the main conductor of the Torino Vocal Ensemble and of the madrigalistic ensemble Suspirium in Florence, while leading several conducting projects in Primary Schools and conducting the Controcanto Youth Choir and Controcanto Children Choir.
Anna Goeke is a Germany-based choral conductor, directing the chamber choir of Bonn University, the chamber choir NyKlång Essen and since 2024, Rodenkirchen’s chamber choir and orchestra. With these ensembles, Anna strives to create new concepts for performances to build a stronger relationship between musicians and the audience. Within these new, innovative formats, Anna has a passion for combining improvised and composed music.
During her studies with F. Helgath at Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Cologne she has worked with Chorwerk Ruhr, Nederlands Kamerkoor, the Academy of the WDR-Radio Choir and the Nova Era Vocalensemble Lisbon. Further opportunities have led her to the Klangforum Heidelberg among others. In 2023 she was awarded the 3rd prize of the International Master Class for Choral Conductors with Conducting Competition in Marktoberdorf (Germany), and since 2024 has a scholarship at the Forum Dirigieren of the Deutscher Musikrat.
From 2019 to 2022, she worked as musical assistant to O. Sperling and E. Metternich at Cologne Cathedral thanks to a scholarship from the Cusanuswerk. Since 2023 Anna is also a teacher for choral- and ensemble direction at HfMT Köln.
In addition to her conducting career, Anna has gained valuable experience as a singer with ensembles such as the JSB-Ensemble of the International Bachakademie Stuttgart (H. C. Rademann, K. Saltzman Romey), the EuroChoir 2022 (Y. Weinberg, M. Amherd), the German National Youth Choir (F. Benfer), the Chamber Choir of HfMT Cologne (F. Helgath, P. Dijkstra) and in Kammerchor Stuttgart (F. Bernius). She also studied singing with I. Danz and M. Lindsay.
The musical education of Benedikt Kantert began with Piano and Music Theory lessons from his grandfather O. Goldmann. He has been taking Organ and Choir Conducting lessons since the age of 15 and completed his church music training with a C-level qualification. At the Leipzig University of Music and Theatre he has studied with T. Löbner, L. Böhme and R. Börger (Choral Conducting), M. Köhler (Orchestral Conducting), H. Hudezeck and C. Entling (Vocal Education). In 2019 he also began his Orchestral Conducting studies with E. Klemm at the Dresden University of Music. He completed further studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in Orchestral Conducting in the class of H. Schaefer and Choral Conducting in the classes of M. Nilsson and F. Malmberg. In addition to his studies, he received important impulses from conductors such as G. Meyer, F. Bernius and P. Russil. As a conductor and vocal trainer, he has worked with choirs and orchestras such as the Gewandhauschor Leipzig, the Leipzig Thomanerchor, the RIAS Kammerchor, the Leipzig Opera Choir, the Dresden Singakademie, the Elblandphilharmonie, the Erzgebirgische Philharmonie Aue, the Robert-Schumann Philharmonie Chemnitz, the Nordiska Kammarorkester and his own ensemble, the Junge Kammerphilharmonie Sachsen. In recent years, concerts have taken him to the Gewandhaus Leipzig, the Kreuzkirche Dresden and the Berlin Philharmonie, among others. In October 2022, he attracted attention as a finalist for the 5th German Choral Conducting Award in Berlin. With the young Schwerin male chamber choir ffortissibros, he recently won two first prizes at the 10th Cornwall International Male Choral Festival, as well as the special Ellen Winser Trophy for best conductor of the festival. In 2023, he also won first prize in the male choir category with the ensemble at the 11th German Choir Competition. Currently he’s a scholar of the renowned Forum Dirigieren programme.
Dana Asnate Kļava, born in 1996, is a Latvian choral conductor. In July 2024 she completed her bachelor studies in Choral Conducting at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar. Currently, she is pursuing her master’s degree at the Nuremberg University of Music with P. Dijkstra. Her interest for choral music started in the early years while being a student at the Riga Cathedral Choir school, where since the young age she received intensive training in Choir Conducting, Singing, Piano and Music Theory. While pursuing her choral conducting high school diploma, Dana was a singer at the world-renowned Youth Choir Kamēr… and gained experience in multiple international choral competitions, festivals, concert tours, as well as in the performance of new music. From year 2016 to 2017, she was a conductor of the mixed choir of Latvian University Dziesmuvara, and in the season of 2015/2016 she was 2nd conductor of the Youth Choir Kamēr…. As a freelance conductor and singer Dana has been working with multiple choirs in Latvia and in the German regions of Thuringia and Saxony, as well as participated in multiple projects with professional choirs, most frequently with the State Choir Latvija. She has worked with conductors such as S. Cambreling, J. Gaffigan, P. and N. Järvi, N. Pasquet and many others. Dana has taken part in conducting masterclasses and workshops with K. Audere, F. Helgath and Consonus Vocal Ensemble and Zürcher Singakademie, I. Kaun and the Opera Choir of the Salzburg State Theatre, Opera Choir of the Meiningen State Theatre and many others. She won the 2nd prize at the 1st International Staņislavs Broks Choral Conductors Competition in Daugavpils (Latvia, 2016) and the 2nd prize at the National Choral Conducting Competition in Rēzekne (Latvia, 2015). For her achievements, Dana has been a scholarship holder of “Die Gesellschaft der Freunde und Förderer der Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT Weimar e.V.”
Ingrit Malleus was born in 1995 and attended the Tallinn Music High School studying violin, singing and choral conducting with I. Kõrvits. Since 2014, Ingrit studied choral conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre of Tallinn (Estonia) with T. Kapten. In 2016/2017 she was an Erasmus exchange student at the Hochschule für Musik H. Eisler in Berlin (Germany) in the class of J.P. Weigle. Since 2018 she studied again at the Estonian Academy of Music with T. Kaljuste and at the Hochschule für Musik H. Eisler of Berlin with J. Doyle. In 2023 she obtained a master's degree of choir conducting at Sibelius Academy Helsinki with N. Schweckendick. She studied singing with W. Heinrich, O. Heikkilä O. Kähkönen and T. Lindeberg. She has won the 1st prize at the Choral conductor’s competition in Estonia (2012, 2014), the 3rd prize in the 8th International choir conducting competition Towards Polyphony 2019 in Wroclaw (Poland). She was one of the finalists at the Estonian competition for young conductors 2019 receiving two special prizes. From 2013 to 2015, Ingrit was the choir master and assistant conductor of the mixed choir Akord of Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, becoming the main conductor in 2015-2016. She has also conducted choirs, such as Philharmonischer Chor Berlin, Consortium Vocale, Ensemberlino Vocale, Children’s, Youth and Chamber Choirs of Tallinn Music High School, Musamari Children’s and Girls' Choirs, Mixed choir of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She attended international masterclasses with R. Rasmussen, L. Nemes, Z. Pad, S. Halsey, R. Norrington, K. Putninš and G. Grün. In summer 2020 she was an active participant at the Orchestra conducting masterclass Järvi Academy with P. and K. Järvi. From 2016 to 2020 she has participated at several projects with the choir of the European Choir Academy. Since 2015 Ingrit sings regularly in the chamber choir Voces Musicales. Since 2022 is soprano section leader and project based chorus master at Helsinki Music centre choir.
Clément Michelot is a French choral conductor and flutist. After his first bachelor's degree in flute in Dresden, he studied in Germany with H. C. Rademann (Dresden) and J. Puschbeck (Weimar). He also participated in an Erasmus programme at the Sibelius Academy in Finland in 2019 and 2020 with N. Schweckendiek. In recent years he has attended numerous masterclasses with J. Doyle, N. Corti, R. Norrington and G.Grün. For more than four years he worked with the Technology University of Dresden as well as with many semi-professional choirs: Auditiv vokal (Germany), Vokis (Finland), Finnish Chamber Choir, Finnish Symphonic Choir. He has twice participated as a choir assistant at the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart in 2022 and 2024. Clément has also worked with opera choirs such as the Hof Opera Choir, the Dresden Operetta Choir and the Lille Opera. Clément Michelot won 3rd prize at the Martkoberdorf International Choir Conducting Competition in 2023, and since April 2024 he has been a laureate of the Forum Dirigieren of the German Music Council. He completed his studies in 2024 with a performance of two pieces by the Swiss composer F. Martin. In addition to his activities as a conductor, Clément Michelot regularly performs as a flutist in various chamber music formations and as a pianist in song duos. His particular interest in contemporary music and new concert formats has led him to create his own vocal and instrumental ensemble for music of the 20th and 21st centuries, which allows him to collaborate with various composers.
Irina Mikhailova graduated in choral conducting at N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint-Petersburg State Musical College with D. Smirnov and at N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg Conservatory with V. Nesterov. In 2021, as part of the Diagilev Festival in Perm, she participated as a conductor in the masterclasses of T. Currentzis and V. Polonsky. In May 2022 she attended, as active conductor, the masterclass of the University of Illinois Chamber Singer under the guidance of A. Megill. In 2022, she completed an internship in Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in Tallinn with T. Kapten. She is currently undergoing an assistant internship at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with B. Abalyan. Irina is the conductor and choirmaster of such youth collectives as the Saint Petersburg Mining University Choir Montem and female choir of State Pedagogical music college n. 3, being involved in their successful concert life both in Russia and abroad.
Irina is an artist of the Festino Chamber Choir from Saint Petersburg conducted by A. Makarova, which is a winner of international competitions experimenting repertoires of different eras and styles. Irina participated to many Russian and international music competitions achieving excellent results such as 3rd prize at the International Competition The voice of youth (2018), 2nd prize at the Tsvetikov International Piano Competition (2018), 2nd prize at the International Competition Poliphonica (2019), 2nd prize at the Russian Competition for Young Conductors of Academic Choirs (2020) and the Gran Prix at the International Competition Singing conductor (2020). In 2024 she won 1st prize at the All-Russian Choral Competition “Rainbow”.
Sophia Nahirniak was born in 2002 in Kyiv. She started studying choir conducting at the age of 15 at the Glier Musik Academy and was accepted in 2021 at the National Music Academy in Kyiv (class of Y. Savchuk). In 2022 following the Russian invasion she moved to Germany and continued her studies in Munich.
In 2021 she took the 4th place at the Slovac international competition Encounter over the choral scores. In Ukraine she was one of the organisers of two concerts and an assistant conductor in the children choir Radist (eng. "Joy"). While living in Germany she worked with UniversitätChor München, Madrigalchor as well as Choir of the Bavarian Philarmony. She also attended workshops of M. Gläser, D. Rouger, J. Prinz, F. Helgath, B. Scott and D. Parsley. In 2024 February she actively participated in the masterclasses of D. Hill and S. Overington working with Chamber Choirs from RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music) and University of Manchester. In April 2024 she was one of three students accepted at the conducting Masterclass with H. Speck and M. Kohlmann, where she worked with Vokalverk Hannover and Ensemble Concerto Inspirato on the Bach Cantatas. Since 2023 she is the conductor of the Singidunum Choir. As a singer she took part in the Vokalakademie Freiburg, Philarmonischer Choir München, Kyiv Glier Academy Women's Choir, where she performed both in the choir and as a soloist in various European Countries. Starting 2024 she is a holder of Deutschlandstipendium.
Dominika Nakielna is a Polish conductor born in 1999. She graduated with distinction from the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. From 2019 to 2023 she was the second conductor of Alla Fine Choir of J. Kurczewski’s Poznań Choir School. Since 2022, she has been a singer of the Paderewski Baroque Ensemble of the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań. In 2023, she became the assistant conductor in Skowronki Girls’ Choir led by A. Szeluga. In September 2024 she will begin working as the assistant conductor of the Poznań Opera House Choir.
She has participated in choral conducting masterclasses with R. Talmar, J. Schumacher, Y. Weinberg, E. Westberg and F. Woebcken. She was an active conductor during the 12th European Academy for choral conductors in Fano, Italy, led by B. Allred. During choral workshops and competitions she had opportunity to work with: Cantanima Choir, Chamber Choir Ireland, Choir of The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, State Choir Vilnius, Paderewski Chamber Choir of the Academy of Music in Poznań, Feichtinum Choir of the K. Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, Chamber Choir of the F. Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and Vocal Ensemble of the Conducting Institute of the Academy of Music in Poznań.
Dominika is a laureate of the second prize and the special prize for the best interpretation of a work by K. Szymanowski at the 18th S. Kulczyński National Competition for Choir Conductors in Poznań and semi-finalist of the 4th J. Naujalis International Competition for Choral Conductors (November 2023). She received the Scholarship of the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2022), the Scholarship of the Rector of the I.J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań (2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023) and the Noël Minet Fund Scholarship for choirmasters administered by the Friends of the European Choral Association (2023).
Born in 2000, Austeja Pezelyte is a Lithuanian choir conductor. She began her musical studies at the National M. K. Ciurlionis School of Arts under the guidance of R. Gražinis. In 2022, Austeja graduated with a bachelor's degree in choir conducting from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater, where she studied with T. Kapten. She is currently pursuing a master's degree at the Hochschule für Musik Saar in Germany, under G. Grün. Austeja has received notable recognition in her field, including the 2nd prize at the International Master Class for Choral Conductors with Conducting Competition- in Marktoberdorf, Germany, in 2023, and the 1st prize at the First international competition for choral conductors Magister inside of Arezzo (Italy) in 2024. Additionally, since 2024, she has been a scholar of the Forum Dirigieren of Deutscher Musikrat. Austeja has also participated in masterclasses with esteemed conductors such as L. Donati, R. Rasmussen, G. Grün, S. Lang-Lessing, and B. Allred, further honing her skills and expanding her musical expertise.
Maria Ravvina is a German conductor and singer who gained her first formative musical experience as a violinist during her early studies at the Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media. She discovered her enthusiasm for singing and choral conducting during her bachelor's degree. Subsequently, she studied Conducting with A. Felber and Music Theory with C. Landvogt in Hanover and is currently completing a master's degree in Conducting with F. Lohmann and C. Altstaedt at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts.
Maria gained valuable singing and conducting experience in masterclasses and projects with K.Stok, Y. Weinberg, A. Kohler, R. Jacobs and J. Doyle. She is a member of various professional vocal ensembles such as the German National Youth Choir and the Schola Heidelberg. Conducting assistantships have taken her to the Zürcher SingAkademie, the Freiburger Barockorchester and the RIAS Kammerchor. Since 2022, Maria is directing the vocal ensemble Vox aeterna, which specialises in early and contemporary music. In the same year she started working as assistant artistic director of the Mädchenchor Hannover. Concert tours and engagements have taken her to several European countries, Israel and England in recent years. She is shortlisted as a reserve for the 2024 Eric Ericson Award.
Patriks Stepe started his studies of choir conducting at Riga Cathedral Choir School, in the class of M. Klišāns and his vocal studies with V. Tračuma. He has gained invaluable experience while participating in several projects together with the Riga Cathedral Boys Choir, including being a choir singer and soloist at The Latvian National Opera in many performances. Since 2018 Patriks has finished his Bachelor studies of choral conducting at J. Vītols Latvian Academy of Music with A. Veismanis and now is continuing his Master’s degree. Patriks became a finalist and the winner of a special prize at I. Kokars 2nd International Competition for Young Choir Conductors from Vocational Music Secondary Educational Institutions in 2016, and he has been a laureate of multiple vocal singing competitions in Latvia. He has also participated in many international projects with the European Choir Academy mixed choir in Hamburg (Germany). In Latvia, he has worked as choir conductor on various professional choral projects with different ensembles or choirs. From 2013 to 2018, he was the choirmaster of the chamber choir DeCoro and since 2018 he is the second conductor of the Youth Choir Kamēr.... Since 2021 he has started working as a choir conducting teacher in Alfreds Kalnins Cesis Music Secondary School and in 2022 he became the artistic director and conductor of the mixed choir Beverīna and head of Department of Choir Conducting in A. Kalnins Cesis Music Secondary School. In 2023 he was the conductor of the StoryHub production ‘Visi putni skaisti dzied’ and in 2024 he conducted the Latvian Radio Choir's concert ‘Šmīdbergs, Vasks, Brauns’.
Tobias Stückelberger is the musical director of the Boys' Choir of St. Ursen Cathedral in Solothurn and the Basel Young Chamber Choir. With the choirboys (aged 10-25) he works on sacred and secular a cappella literature, folk music and choral symphonic repertoire. With the choirs male voices he recently won the 1st price at the Swiss National Choir Competition. With the professional singers of the Basel Young Chamber Choir he mainly performs challenging contemporary vocal music. He was a singer in the Basel Boys' Choir for many years and then studied choral conducting Basel. He continued his education with a master's degree in conducting with G. Pedersen at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. During this time he also worked as an assistant with Det Norske Solistkor, Norway's leading professional vocal ensemble. He then gained further experience with the Drakensberg Boys Choir in South Africa, which he conducted from 2018-2020 and with which he extensively toured the African continent and Europe. He was a guest conductor with Voces Suaves, PourChoeur and Det Norske Solistkor, director of the Intercantonal women's choir, assistant with the Swiss Youth Choir and singer in the World Youth Choir.
After studying orchestral conducting and double bass at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv, Israeli conductor and singer Amir Tiroshi came to Basel in 2012 to study at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with the aim of continuing his studies of early music in depth, specializing on recorders under C. Steinmann, where he obtained his Bachelor's degree in 2015. During his studies he founded the chamber orchestra Ensemble Tsurà, which focuses on the Classical and early Romantic periods while performing on a mix of modern and period instruments. At the same time, he began studying singing with various lec. In 2021 he completed his Specialized Master's degree in Choir Conducting at the Musik-Akademie in Basel under R. Immoos. Amir is active as a solo and ensemble singer with several groups, such as the Basler Madrigalisten. As a choral conductor he holds several positions with choirs of varying sizes - from an a cappella ensemble of twenty singers to an oratorio choir of one hundred, most notably with the Berner Bach Chor (Bern, Switzerland), which he has been conducting since early 2023.
At the age of six Guram Tsintsadze first started his music education with Georgian folk music. At eleven he joined the Choir Conducting class of L. Chonishvili at the E. Mikeladze Central Music School N2.
He continued his studies in Conducting at the Tbilisi State Conservatory (Class of L. Chonishvili). During his studies he formed the youth choir “Camerata”, with whom he successfully participated in various competitions in Georgia. In 2019 he took part in an Erasmus + Exchange Program at the Jāzeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music in the class of M. Sirmais. Guram Tsintsadze also joined the Academy’s mixed choir who won one of the European Grand Prix Competition in Maribor, Slovenia, that year. After successfully completing his bachelor’s degree in Conducting in Georgia in 2020, he joined A. Glaßner’s Choral Conducting class at the mdw – University of music and performing Arts Vienna, first as an exchange student and then successfully passed entrance exams and is currently studying towards his master’s degree.
In 2021 he took up studying Orchestra Conducting in the class of J. Wildner and since 2022 in the class of A. Orozco-Estrada.
He successfully participated in audition for 6th International Choir Conducting Masterclass with Berlin Radio Choir and in November 2023 took part in masterclass and concert under guidance of S. Halsey. During his studies he led ensemble “Schubertianer” in Vienna and worked with various ensembles, such as Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra, Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater Orchestra, Musikfreunde Baden Orchestra, Pro-Arte Orchestra Vienna, the Webern Chamber Choir, Sofia National Philharmonic Choir, State Choir Vilnius, Jauna Muzika, Berlin Radio Choir.
In November 2023 he won 2nd Prize in the 4th Juozas Naujalis International Competition for Choral Conductors. From 2024-2025 he will be principal conductor of the Musikfreunde Baden Orchestra.
Nino Tsintsadze, born in 2001, is a choir conductor and singer from Georgia. Her love for music was nurtured by her family, who played a significant role in her early musical development. She began her music education in Choir Conducting at the E. Mikeladze Tbilisi Central Music School with L. Chonishvili. In 2020, she continued her studies at the Tbilisi V. Sarajishvili State Conservatory under the mentorship of M. Edisherashvili. Simultaneously, she participated in various choral festivals and competitions, took part in masterclasses and worked with several choirs, was a principal conductor of youth choir “Camerata”. She also sang in the Tbilisi Women's Choir and is an active participant in opera choirs in Georgia and Germany. As a soloist collaborates with different choirs, such as the Georgian National State Choir. In 2023, she was an exchange student as part of the Erasmus+ Program at the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław under the guidance of A. Franków-Żelazny. In 2024, she successfully completed her bachelor's degree and enrolled in the master's degree at the Tbilisi State Conservatory.
Armenian choir conductor Narine Voskanyan was born in Yerevan. She began her career as a violinist, in 2005 successfully accomplishing violin studies at Yerevan Tchaikovsky Specialized Secondary Music School and then entering the violin class of the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory.
She studied in the Choir Conducting Department under the mentorship of S. Hovhannisyan receiving a Master's Degree in Conducting in 2012. She established and conducted the Cantus Vocal Ensemble as well as collaborated with the Alan Hovhannes Chamber Orchestra as a violinist. From 2007 to 2024 Narine was a member of the Hover State Chamber Choir also assisting the choir conductor. Between 2016 and 2019, she contributed to the National Center for Child and Adolescent Education of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Armenia by holding a position of a Conductor of the Boys' Choir. In 2017, she conducted Le, the female choir, formed by the female singers of the Hover State Chamber Choir under the leadership of S. Hovhannisyan. In 2018 she assumed the role of the artistic director of the Hover State Chamber Choir and conducted concerts of the choir in Armenia and internationally. Notable performances include the concert in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2022 celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Armenian-Georgian diplomatic relations. In addition, the concert in Munich, Germany, dedicated to the 30th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Federal Republic of Germany was held the same year. Narine conducted the Hover choir in Paris at the UNESCO headquarters, concluding the series of events commemorated to 850th anniversary of Saint Nerses Shnorhali’s passing organized with participation of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Armenia. Since 2018 she has been working as a teacher in the Choir Conducting Department of the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. In 2023 she has been invited to the position of a Principal Guest Conductor at the National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet of Armenia.